A Very Short, Very Long Train Ride

Monday, May 17, 2017--Arles to Monpellier, France

Monday seemed to be starting a little more slowly and a bit quieter than the previous days.  But by the time I left the apartment at 11:30, two different bands had passed in front playing music.  Today is the last day of the Feria. 

I knew when I scheduled myself to travel on Easter Monday that it would likely be a big travel day with people returning home from their holidays.  I thought, however, that maybe the train systems would add more cars to handle the traffic.

My route was the direct one to Montpellier without having to first go to Avignon and then change trains.  It is a local that makes 5 stops between Arles and there--one in the similarly large and important Nimes and 4 in small towns along the way.  We were scheduled to leave at 12:41 and to be in Montpellier at 13:46.  The distance is 81 km (50 miles).

At the train station in Arles, everyone started going to the platform about 12:30.  At 12:33, the train going the opposite direction arrived and left.  At 12:41, our train was not in sight.  Nor at 12:51 or 13:01.  It finally arrived about 25 minutes late.  By that time our platform was full of people waiting.  As the train eventually pulled into the station, it was obvious it was going to be too small.  There were only two long cars with 4 sets of doors--one for each side of each long car.  Looking into the windows, I could see that the train was already packed.  When the doors opened, only a trickle, if any at all, of those on board got off.  I ran to each door.  There seemed to be no way to get on.

I knew this was my train and that I would have a man waiting to let me into my apartment at 16:00.  I knew there was no other direct train, and I didn't know if there would be another train via Avignon.  So I just started pushing my way into a car that had people all the way to the doors inside already.  A man to the back raised his hand to offer to take my bag and pointed to the aisle behind him.  I passed the bag over the heads of everyone and started pushing my way through.  Once in the aisle, the man gave me back my bag and there was just room enough for me to stand with people against me on all sides and with me against the arm of a seat that had a man in it.  But I was on!!

Then we waited.  And we waited.  They made an announcement that we couldn't go because they couldn't get the doors to close without some people leaving the train.  On the platform were already probably 100 people who had not been able to get on at all.  They brought security to get people off the train who were not far enough inside for the doors to close.  Whether they talked them into leaving, threatened them, or pulled them off, I don't know.  I couldn't see.  It helped that by that time we were already 1 hour late for departure they were making an announcement that if people who didn't get onto our train and those who were willing to leave our train would go to another platform, a train was arriving that would go to Avignon where they could change to another train.  That train came and went while we waited.  Somehow, they finally got our doors shut, and we left, too.

At each stop, there were more people trying to get onto the train than there were trying to get off.  Our doors would close and we would pull off leaving people who had intended to take our train.  All of these but one were small stations that had no other choice of directions or routings.  Shuffling inside happened each time a few got off and a few got on.  Eventually, I found myself beside a Black woman who began talking to me in French.  I explained I only speak English, and she spoke beautiful English.  We became buddies--her looking out for me and me helping keep watch on her luggage which she had left far ahead of where she was now.  Then a French Arab man near us joined us in conversation.  He and I helped everyone with their luggage as some would leave and others would come on.  Sitting just in front of me was a Muslim family who overhead us and joined into our interaction--mostly with facial expressions or with French to the other two who would translate to me.  It turned into a great social experience. 

The train finally arrived in Montpellier an hour late, so we must have made up some time between stations.  A huge crowd was waiting on the platform there to get on.  But a huge crowd of us were getting off there.  The narrow platform was a mass of exiting passengers mixed with those waiting to get onto the train.  It took a long time to pass through it to the escalator to take me up and over the tracks. 

By the time I got out of the station, I had about 1 1/4 hours before I needed to be at the apartment.  I walked near it and then sat on a shop window ledge reading until 16:00.  Thierry showed up just in time to let me into my apartment here in Montpellier.  It's in a very old part of town in the center.  The building is made from stones and has a narrow stone circular stairwell inside.  Entering the building door and coming up the stairwell is a bit like entering the dark ages.  But as with most old buildings in Europe, once you open the door and enter the apartment, it is cozy, bright and comfortable. 

Most stores were closed, but I found one supermarket about 1 1/2 blocks away open so that I could buy some bread.  I made me a sandwich from some of the ham and the camembert cheese I bought in Arles and stayed inside since everything but a few cafes in the area was closed.